Third-year student Elisabeth Pribulick repeatedly called College of DuPage’s Access and Accommodations office but struggled to reach anyone for assistance. Frustrated, she began searching for other ways the college could better support students with disabilities.
“I frantically Googled any sort of honor society or community and found one that stood out, called DAPi,” Pribulick said. “Nobody seemed to know it existed at the time except for me and Google. So I started researching and putting together documents and people to make something happen.”
Now, a chapter of Delta Alpha Pi (DAPi) International Honor Society has officially launched at COD, creating new opportunities to celebrate the academic achievements of students with disabilities. Pribulick currently serves as the chapter’s president.
The COD chapter hosted its first meeting on March 25, featuring an introductory presentation to students and staff titled “Don’t Diss My Ability.” The honor society is overseen by faculty adviser Kelly Lidinsky. Membership is open to COD students registered with Access and Accommodations who maintain a GPA of 3.1 or higher.
“Everyone thinks that Access and Accommodations provides everything for us, but that’s not true,” Pribulick said. “We need more representation to build bridges between students, faculty and staff. We want everyone at COD to understand how to interact with people with visible and invisible disabilities and be part of a community like this.”
DAPi was founded in 2004 at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. The organization’s primary goal is to recognize the academic accomplishments of high-achieving students with disabilities attending colleges around the world. More than 200 institutions have established chapters, including North Central College in Naperville and Loyola University Chicago. DAPi also offers member scholarships and opportunities for leadership development.
“DAPi is about awareness of our challenges, but also showing that we’re overcoming them,” co-Vice President Rick Rivas said. “That’s what makes our honor society different. We acknowledge our challenges, but we also overcome them.”
The launch of DAPi aligns with COD’s broader mission to create a more inclusive and supportive campus for all students, he said.
The chapter plans to host workshops, social events, and an end-of-year ceremony later this semester. They have also created a designated study room for students with disabilities in SRC 2021 to promote inclusivity. In the future, they also hope to partner with COD’s Peer Mentoring program, led by Intercultural Student Initiatives Manager David Swope.
“I think DAPi will show that we are a supporting community and can be a safe place for those who need us,” Secretary Oliver Ng said. “DAPi can be a space for students to find comfort and feel seen. A lot of people I meet don’t have a designated space for them, so hopefully this will be a place where people can come, express themselves freely, and support each other while thriving, especially in a large community college when it can be hard to find your place.”
Through the organization, students will not only find academic recognition but also a supportive community that values inclusion, acceptance and understanding.
“We want to be a part of everything. We’re everywhere, just like anyone else,” Pribulick said. “We overcome our challenges, and instead of focusing on what we can’t do, we say, ‘OK, it’s here, it’s real, and it’s part of who we are. We can’t separate ourselves from it, so we take a deep breath and step forward, faults and all. Acceptance is key.’”
To learn more about DAPi, visit the study room in SRC 2021, or contact Elisabeth Pribulick at [email protected].
